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Lake Oconee, Madison Georgia
Capt. Doug Nelms
March 26, 2003
Lake Oconee - Freshwater Fishing Report
Hybrids/Crappie
Water temp 59.4
The water is warming up, the dogwoods have started blooming and it is on full swing here at Lake Oconee. It seems like I have fished about everyday since the last report and clients are calling for more trips as spring comes to the lake and fishing is heating up.
The hybrids are doing just about as well as I have seen them do in quite a while. I hope this will last another few weeks, but we are catching large fish, in large amounts just about every time we go out. The largest one to date is 9.8 pounds (weighed on digital scales) and I feel our personal boat record will be broken really soon. I was flattered on one past trip when the angler looked at me and said, “I can’t believe the smallest fish we have boated is 5 pounds.” That’s how it goes when the line-sides start their false spawn.
Wallace Dam and the points leading up to it are the best places to fish. It seems that water current is more important than moon phase or even bad water. When GA Power begins generating, your graph will light up with fish and the fight is on. If there is no water generation you will do good if you catch one fish in a half-hour.
Live shad is the ticket and if you read my reports you know my affinity for fishing these beauties. It seems the hybrids love the ones about 4 to 5 inches long. Anglers are using Hal Fly tipped with large minnows and are getting results. There is plenty of bait at Sugar Creek and if you get there before daylight you should have no problem catching them. I throw a 10-foot Calusa and with 2 casts, on my last trip, I caught enough bait to fish the entire day.
The crappie are on the bank and anglers who love to night fish are showing up all over the Lake. My friend, George Cox, who may be the best crappie fisherman I know, has caught several in the 2-pound range this year. He is still finding them around the powerlines and up the Apalachee River.
I understand Dyers Pasture is in full swing with white bass and hybrids making their run up the Oconee. I will get a report today from an angler who is fishing there this morning and I will let you know how he is doing.
If you want to catch a trophy hybrid, now is the time to call me. It doesn’t get better than this!
Tight Lines
Doug Nelms
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